The great spiritual saint
Kundkundacharyadeo occupies the highest place in the tradition of
the Jain acharyas. He is remembered immediately after Bhagwan
Mahaveer and the preceptor Gautam as an auspicious blessing.
Every Jain recites the couplet with the three adorables, everyday
reverentially before starting the study of religious texts. Jain
monks feel honoured in being included in the tradition of
Kundkundacharya.

Jain community is as
unacquainted with the life of Kundkundacharyadeo, as it is
acquainted with his name and glory. Always resting in the depth
of the soul and away from worldly fame, Kundkund has nowhere
written anything about himself. Merely his name has been
mentioned in Dwadshanupreksha. Likewise, he has described himself
in Bodh Pahud as the disciple of scriptural sentient Bhadrabahu,
who had the knowledge of Twelve Anga Scriptures and who had
spread the message of the Fourteen Purvas.

Though writers afterwards have
referred to him with faith and reverence, which throws light on
his greatness, yet no particular knowledge about his life is
obtained.

From the information available,
his time is the beginning of the Vikram Samvat. In the
Tika-Prashashti of Shat Prabhrit, Shrut Sagar Suri has called him
the omniscient of this dark age. He had many great fortunes. He
went to Bhagwan Seemandhar Nath is Videh Kshetra and offered his
homage to him. Devasenacharya in V. S. 990 in his Darshansar, has
referred to about this as below :-

"If Padma Nandi Nath
(Kundkundacharyadeo) had not distributed the divine sentience
obtained from Seemandhar Bhagwan amongst the Sadhus, how could
they realise the real path of liberation ?"

His real name is Padma Nandi
and is known as Kundkundacharya being a resident of Kundkundpur.

Following works of
Kundkundacharyadeo are available:-

Samaysar, Pravachansar,
Panchastikaya, Niyamsar, Asta Pahud, Dwadshanu-preksha and Dash
Bhakti. Rayansar and Moolachar are also said to be his works. It
is said that he wrote eighty-four pahuds. It is also said that he
wrote a commentary named Parikarma on the first three parts of
Shat-khandagam, which is not available.

Samaysar is the great unique
treatise of Jain spiritualism. Pravachansar and Panchastikaya
have detailed description of the Jain principles. The above three
are also known as Natak Trayi, Prabhrit Trayi and Kundkund Trayi.
Acharya Amritchandra has written elaborate commentaries on the
three in the Sanskrit language. Commentaries of Acharya Jaisen in
Sanskrit are also available.